Her remarks contrast with what Schiff said last month. Back then, in a profile of Schiff, the Journal's Nick Halter reported: "Schiff said his decision won't be affected by Rybak's."

But in a recent Star Tribune report indicates Schiff may have flip-flopped since then. From the Strib:

Mayor R.T. Rybak has previously said he will decide before January 1 whether to seek a fourth term. Schiff acknowledged [November 23] that Rybak "remains very popular" and it would be difficult to win if he is competing against him. Schiff said Rybak's decision to seek a fourth term would be a factor in whether Schiff throws his hat in the ring.

"If he (Rybak) runs I will have to take it into consideration," Schiff said.

Rybak, meanwhile, says he'll announce his decision by January 1. For the second time in four years, he's thought to be a candidate for a gig in the Obama administration.

If Schiff does end up running against Rybak, you can bet all the work Rybak did to get a Vikings stadium deal done will emerge as a major campaign issue. From our May blog post about the city council's final approval of the stadium:

Council Member Gary Schiff said "this is a sad day for Minneapolis taxpayers" and called the half-billion dollar subsidy from the state and city "the largest act of corporate welfare ever approved in the state of Minnesota." He later urged Minneapolis voters to hold their elected officials accountable for approving the stadium plan.

Despite her support for Rybak, Hodges joined Schiff in voting against the stadium.

For what it's worth, on the level of the city council races, Halter reports that it doesn't look like the stadium will emerge as a central issue:

I'm discovering that while many Mpls City Council challengers oppose the Vikings stadium deal, they aren't making it a central issue.